Tag: Adam Schefter

Former Notre Dame Captain Reportedly Named Texans DC

Weaver takes over a defense that gave up the fifth-most yards in the NFL in 2019 but did manage to allow a significantly more respectable 19th fewest points.

Former Notre Dame captain and defensive end Anthony Weaver has worked his way from player to graduate assistant and now all the way up to an NFL defensive coordinator.

On Monday news broke courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reporting that Weaver will be named defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.

Anthony Weaver was a star defensive end at Notre Dame, playing under Bob Davie from 1998 through 2001.  In 2001 he served as a captain and was named team MVP for a squad that disappointed to the tune of just a 5-6 record after earning a Fiesta Bowl berth the season before.

Weaver went on to become a second round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 and played four seasons there before playing three more with the Houston Texans from 2006-08.

Weaver then got his start in the coaching ranks at the very bottom, serving as a graduate assistant to Urban Meyer at Florida in 2010 before taking a job as linebackers coach at North Texas in 2011.

From there it was a long climb to his new post as Weaver had stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns along the way.  In 2016 he took over as defensive line coach of the Texans before being promoted to defensive coordinator today.

Weaver takes over a defense that gave up the fifth-most yards in the NFL in 2019 but did manage to allow a significantly more respectable 19th fewest points.

For a flashback, check out this newsclip about Weaver from 2013 that briefly features footage from his kicking career in high school and one of his highlights from his days at Notre Dame.

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Report: Luke Kuechly interested in new role with Panthers

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Kuechly is interested in sticking around for a post-retirement role in Carolina.

Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly suddenly announced his retirement last week after eight seasons in the NFL. Just because he’s done playing doesn’t mean he’s done with football, though – or the organization that he’s called home since he was drafted.

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Kuechly is interested in sticking around for a post-retirement role in Carolina.

“Kuechly is interested in having a role with the Panthers, a league source told ESPN, whether it’s as an adviser, coach, executive or another job that could help the team.”

Not every former player is cut out to contribute for a coaching staff or in the front office. Kuechly is an exceptional individual, though. If nothing else, Kuechly’s relentless attention to details and film study should make him an excellent coach. He also has all the intangibles covered you might expect for any leadership role.

As it happens, the Panthers are in the middle of assembling a new coaching staff. Perhaps there’s room for Kuechly to work as a linebackers coach or assistant. Another route could be the one that Julius Peppers took after his retirement. Peppers has been working as a special assistant on the business side. He’s also served as an ambassador for the team.

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Report: Drew Brees approached about TV analyst position

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has drawn interest by the NFL’s TV broadcast partners, but he may not be finished playing just yet

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It almost goes without saying that Drew Brees will have plenty of career options when his time in the NFL is finished. The longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback has been an active investor in recent years, though it’s unlikely his day as a dishwasher at a sports bar for “Undercover Boss” endeared him to that career path.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Brees was recently approached by a non-ESPN network to gauge his interest in TV game analysis. While Brees has not yet confirmed whether he’ll continue playing — his Saints contract voids in March — Schefter’s report adds that Brees will not be making any decisions about his future employment status until he’s settled on whether he’ll continue playing.

It makes sense that the NFL’s broadcast partners would take an interest in Brees. Given the recent success of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the broadcast booth, maybe they envision Brees as a similarly-successful addition.

What’s curious is that Brees has not shown much interest himself in doing this kind of work. Unlike contemporaries such as Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen or Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Brees has not taken on guest spots during game broadcasts or preview shows, so he’s largely an unknown quantity. Great as he is at spinning a football, it’s possible he isn’t as impressive in calling games live on air.

But this all hinges on Brees’ decision. It could come as soon as this week — Saints coach Sean Payton conveniently joined the ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown crew as a guest analyst and offered his take on the situation, repeating his previous take that he doesn’t think Brees is ready to quit playing just yet. Payton said that he expects to hear from Brees in the coming days, possibly ahead of the quarterback’s 41st birthday on Wednesday. So this is a situation well worth monitoring.

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Matt Rhule on first conversation with Cam Newton: ‘He was awesome to talk to’

Here’s what he told Adam Schefter on his podcast about that conversation.

The Carolina Panthers have themselves a new head coach. Today, Matt Rhule was introduced as the fifth person to earn that title in team history.

Rhule faces a lot of questions in the first of a seven-year, $60 million contract. Near the top of the list has to be who he wants to be his franchise quarterback. As general manager Marty Hurney reminded the media today, there’s already an MVP QB on the roster.

Speaking of Cam Newton, Rhule says he spoke with him on Tuesday to introduce himself. Here’s what he told Adam Schefter on his podcast about that conversation.

“He was awesome to talk to. Passionate. . . Great guy. A tremendous competitor. . . Again, it was a conversation just to introduce myself and say how much I look forward to getting to know him in the future.”

That sounds good. However, whether or not Newton stays may not be entirely up to Rhule, who admitted he’s not fully up to speed on his personnel just yet. He says he told Newton as much.

“As I told him and told all the players, I really don’t know anything right now. I was kind of just dropped here today but I’ll get caught up to speed really quick on where everything’s at and we can get this thing moving in the right direction.”

Newton (30) is entering the last year of his contract. Some analysts have suggested cutting or trading him, which would save the team some $19.1 million in cap space and cost only $2 million in dead money.

Cap savings don’t win games, though. If that’s a proposition that interests Rhule, then Newton is going to be his best chance to do so in 2020.

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WATCH: Patriots’ WR coach Joe Judge to become Giants’ head coach

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

Judge was most recently the special team’s coordinator and wide receivers coach with the New England Patriots. He has three Super Bowl rings since joining the franchise in 2012 as a special teams assistant.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first with the report on Tuesday, revealing that the deal was in the works as of Monday night:

The Giants fired their previous head coach, Pat Shurmur, on Dec. 30 after going 9-23 over two seasons in East Rutherford.

Patriots’ WR coach Joe Judge to become Giants’ head coach

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

Report: Panthers giving new coach Matt Rhule 7-year, $60 million deal

The Carolina Panthers are making a huge commitment to their new head coach Matt Rhule.

The Carolina Panthers are making a huge commitment to their new head coach Matt Rhule. According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Rhule’s contract is for seven years and is worth $60 million. The deal includes incentives that could push the total to $70 million.

The timing of Rhule’s hiring came as a surprise, as the team was set to interview Josh McDaniels today as well as Kevin Stefanski later in the week.

Rhule had the least NFL experience of the candidates, but he does bring a well-rounded history, having coached several different position groups as well as offense, defense and special teams.

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ESPN’s ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ to broadcast from Philly ahead of Eagles vs. Cowboys

ESPN’s ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ to broadcast live from Philly ahead of Eagles vs. Cowboys

Philadelphia will be the center of the NFL universe this weekend as two prominent ESPN shows will make their way to the city to join in on the Eagles-Cowboys hype.

Taking a cue from their Monday Night Football counterparts and for the first time this season, ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown is going on the road from its studio in Bristol, Conn., to Xfinity Live across the street from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia ahead of the Birds playoff-like match-up against the Dallas Cowboys per a press release.

“With the playoffs on the line this week in Philadelphia, there is nowhere we would rather be on Sunday morning,” said Matthew Garrett, ESPN coordinating producer. “We have taken Countdown on the road to some of the NFL’s biggest matchups in recent years and this Cowboys-Eagles rivalry game certainly fits that bill. The passion of Eagles fans is extraordinary and we can’t wait to put it on display this Sunday at Xfinity Live!”

ESPN reporters Sal Paolantonio and Ed Werder will report live from Lincoln Financial Field, while NFL insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will handle their roles from ESPN headquarters in Bristol.

Listen: Ron Rivera talks about what he wants in his next coaching job

Rivera elaborated more on what he’s looking for in his next gig on Adam Schefter’s podcast Tuesday.

If you thought Ron Rivera would take a year off from the NFL like Mike McCarthy, you don’t know Rivera. The former Panthers head coach told reporters last week he plans to continue coaching and he should have no shortage of job offers once this season is over.

Rivera elaborated more on what he’s looking for in his next gig on Adam Schefter’s podcast Tuesday. Here’s a snippet of Rivera talking about what he wants.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

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WATCH: Colts place Adam Vinatieri on season-ending injured reserve

The Indianapolis Colts have placed Adam Vinatieri on season-ending injured reserve with a left knee injury, according
to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Indianapolis Colts have placed Adam Vinatieri on season-ending injured reserve with a left knee injury, according
to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The 46-year old will reportedly have surgery to repair his ailing knee that’s been causing discomfort throughout the season.

The injury had led to the worst kicking season in his career, with an NFL-leading 14 missed kicks this season. It’s not the way we want to remember the NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) and perhaps the greatest placekicker in league history is over.

From Week 3 to Week 8, he made 11 of his 12 extra points and 10 of his next 12 field goals, including a 45-yard game-winner against the Denver Broncos.

Colts head coach Frank Reich said last week Vinatieri’s knee flared up during practice and pregame warmups Sunday leading into the Titans game, but he “gutted it out.”

However, the team medical personnel decided it was in his best interest to call it a season.

The Colts now turn to Chase McLaughin.

The team claimed the 23-year-old rookie from Cypress, Texas off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers last week and he booted 5-of-6 kicks through the upright during Sunday’s 38-35 loss in Tampa.

If this was his last season in the NFL, we’ll all remember the memorable kicks he made in his five Super Bowl appearances and 29 game-winning kicks.